Matthew 16:25, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

Recently I read a phrase that captivated my attention. In his book “Caesar and Christ”, Will Durant states that one of the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire was that they sacrificed their civilization for “the comforts of sterility.” 

Yes, there are comforts to sterility. No sleepless nights. No sacrifice. Freedom to pursue your career. Time for pleasure. Make more money. Get a bigger house, better car and higher status symbol.  But what’s the end result of chosen sterility? Sadness. Loneliness. Emptiness. And eventually the decline of a civilization.

Our culture, out of the church and in the church, is rooted in pleasure seeking. We are shallow. We are selfish. We want to do our own thing. But nothing comes of a fruitless vine. It is useless. Good for nothing. It doesn’t provide food or blessing for anyone.

This is not what life is all about. Life is sacrifice. In fact, you can’t have life without death. What did Jesus say in John 12: “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” When we live for ourselves, we lose our life. When we lay down our life in daily sacrifice we find it. This is an eternal law.

What is the opposite to “the comforts of sterility”? It would have to be “the sacrifices of fertility.” Yes, I have to concede that there are sacrifices to fertility. You will have to lay down your own life. You will have sleepless nights. You will have burdens to bear. But oh the joys! Oh the fruitfulness. Oh the rewards. You will reap the fruit of your labor and sacrifice. You will rejoice in godly offspring who will take God’s love and salvation to the nations of the world. You will fill the world with more of God’s light and truth because of the godly ‘arrows’ you are daily sharpening and polishing.  Your life will not end in loneliness but you will be surrounded with children and grandchildren.

You are also part of building and prospering your nation. Every child you bring into the world is not only one life, but also the beginning of another dynasty. Every child you refuse to bring into the world is not only one life that is denied but also a whole dynasty that is lost to the world and the generations to come!

We are unknowingly driving down this road to destruction. The average number of children per family in USA is 1.8. The Moslem people are multiplying at an average of 6.8 per family and are overtaking the world. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today without evangelizing. By multiplying only.

Multiplying is the secret for taking dominion. We see this principle in the very first words that man ever heard from the mouth of God. We read in Genesis 1:28, “God blessed them, and God said unto them, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion…” We cannot take dominion unless we multiply. It’s just the way it is! If we want to take dominion for the kingdom of God on the earth, we must multiply. If we want our nation to continue to, we have to multiply. When we stop multiplying, we lose ground. We diminish. Eventually we disappear from the horizon.

God wants His people who belong to His kingdom to fill the earth with His salvation and glory. Our purpose is not to just hold the fort until Jesus comes, but to be invaders! We are the children of light, invading the darkness with the light of Jesus. We are truth bearers exposing the deceptions of this humanistic age. We are the rivers of the pure water of God’s throne, ministering life and healing to a sick and hurting world. We are dying to ourselves to bring forth much fruit. We are choosing and embracing life instead of death and filling the world with the godly seed. We are not here to retreat, but to subdue and invade.

This is what God’s people did when they were in Egypt. They became a threat to the Egyptians because they grew “more and mightier” than the Egyptians. Are we, the people of God, a threat to the humanists and the enemy’s camp today? We can be if we have the testimony of God’s people in Egypt who “were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.” Exodus 1:7-9, (Psalm 80:8-11).

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh God, I am sorry that I have been deceived. I repent of my selfishness. I repent of holding back the godly seed. Please give me an invading mentality. Help me to see your purposes and vision. Please save me from my selfishness. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

Proverbs 12:1, “Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.”

Brutish. Oh it is an ugly word, isn’t it? I was challenged when I read this Scripture in my daily reading. I certainly didn’t think of myself as brutish. But the Word of God is powerful and the Holy Spirit convicted me that I am guilty.

I don’t like being reproved, do you? I don’t like being told what to do all the time. There are many times when my husband reproves me in order to get me in line.  I don’t always like it. My first reaction is to resist on the inside even if I don’t show it on the outside. But now I realize this is brutish.

Many times my husband asks me to do many things, and I think, “I’m busier than you are.” My flesh does not like being ordered around. But once again, I realize this is brutish. I certainly don’t want to be brutish and so I repent and ask the Lord to give me a soft and responsive heart.

Oh it’s so easy to react in the flesh. The flesh does not like interruptions. The flesh does not like being reproved. The flesh does not like being told what to do. But are we going to walk according the to the flesh, or according to the Spirit of God who lives within us?

Many modern translations of Proverbs 12:1 read, “He who hates reproof is stupid.” “Stupid” is not as strong a word as “brutish” but it still reveals that it is an immature reaction. Children do not like to be reproved. It takes maturity to receive reproof with a soft and open heart. Reproof will bring us into a larger place in our lives. It is what makes us grow into the likeness of Jesus.

The psalmist cries out in Psalm 141:5, “Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him reprove me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it.” The psalmist states that receiving proof is like receiving the “oil of gladness” that was poured on the head on festive occasions. He does not resist it because he knows it will bless him and make him greater. The Living Bible says, “If they reprove me, it is medicine!”

The literal Hebrew meaning of this word “baar” means, “to be consumed.”  If we do not allow the Spirit of God to soften our hearts in order to receive rebuke and admonition, we will end up being consumed with our own ways and desires. We will become eaten up with hurt and bitterness. We will be stubborn wives who end up destroying the marriage. We will be frustrated mothers for we will produce children with the same brutish spirit who will not receive reproof and instruction. Our children will receive rebuke and admonition in the same way that we receive it from our husband or from other people.

Proverbs 9:8-9, “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.”

Proverbs 10:17, “He who refuses reproof goes astray.”

Isaiah 66:2, “But to this man will I look; even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.”

I think that one of the greatest blessings that we can allow the Lord to work in us is a soft and sensitive heart toward Him, toward our husband and toward others. This is also one of the greatest prayers that we can pray for our children, that they also will have soft hearts to hear and obey the Lord.

Let us cast every tendency to brutishness out of our hearts.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh God, please save me from having a brutish spirit. Oh Spirit of God, please move upon my heart and work in me a contrite and humble spirit. Give me a heart that can receive reproof with joy, knowing that this will enable me to grow into a larger place in my walk with You. Thank you, Lord.”

AFFIRMATION:

I will not resist admonition but embrace it with joy.

 

Song of Solomon 8:5, “Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved.”

The Song of Solomon is a very precious book of the Bible. It is a beautiful picture of marriage. It is also a picture of Christ and His bride. The above Scripture also reveals God’s intention for us. It is also a picture of the journeyings of Israel in the wilderness. She went into the wilderness with an independent spirit, full of doubts, murmurings and complainings against the Lord. At the end of forty years she eventually comes forth dependent upon God.

Although we are born dependent (Psalm 22:10), reliant upon our mother’s breasts, it doesn’t take long before the independent spirit takes over. The spirit of this age programs women to be independent. They are taught in school and college to be independent. They are warned that marriage may not work and therefore they must prepare for an independent lifestyle. To rely on a husband is considered weakness. But independence is a trait of the flesh. It does not belong to the kingdom of God. It was independence and pride that caused Satan to be cast out of the heavenly realm. (Isaiah 14:12-15)

The Word of God continually warns us about relying on our own self-sufficiency. Instead, we are encouraged over and over again to trust in the Lord and to lean upon Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

Our ability and understanding is flimsy. When we lean upon it, it will bend and often break beneath us. Also, when we lean to our own understanding, we usually lean to what suits us. We lean toward selfishness. We lean towards the easy way out. We may think that “our way” is the best, but it may not be the best decision in the long term. God’s ways, even though contrary to everything we want to do, will always lead to the ultimate blessing. No wonder Proverbs 28:26 says, “He that trusts in his own heart is a fool.” Isaiah 36:6 tells us that when we lean upon Egypt (which is a type of the world’s wisdom) it will go into the hand and pierce it. Please take time to also read Isaiah 30:1-3 and 31:1-3.

But when we lean upon our God, He will never fail us. We can lean hard. We can put our whole weight upon Him and He will not move. He is our Rock. He is our Fortress. He is our Buckler. We cannot fall for underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:27)

Get into the habit of leaning. It is not weakness. It is godly. It is the true spirit of marriage and a picture of the bride of Christ leaning upon her Beloved. It is true spirit of our relationship with the Lord.

The word ‘lean’ in the Hebrew is ‘sha-an’ and it depicts an attitude of trust and ultimate dependence. This same word is translated by other words in the King James Bible:

2 Chronicles 13:18, “The children of Judah prevailed, because they relied (sha-an) upon the Lord God of their fathers.”

2 Chronicles 14:11, “And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest (sha-an) on Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude.”

Isaiah 50:10, “Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay (sha-an) upon his God.” (Isaiah 10:20)

Dear mother, why not try leaning upon the Lord today rather than trying to do everything in your own strength. It is not weakness but ultimate maturity.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh God, I repent of my independent spirit and wanting to do things my way. I repent of my independence in my marriage. I repent of “going down to Egypt” and leaning on the counsel of this world. Oh Lord, when I lean upon my own resources, I fail. Please teach me to lean upon you moment by moment. Please help me to trust in your unfailing strength. Amen”

AFFIRMATION:

Leaning, leaning,

Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Hymn written by Elisha A. Hoffman

Joshua 24:15, “Choose you this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Who is your master? You have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness that is ruled by the deceiver and the destroyer. You no longer have to be ruled by this kingdom. You now belong to a new kingdom, the kingdom of our great God. Let Him be your God. May you be reminded again today of your great Deliverer. Acknowledge who He is to you. Praise Him out loud. 

 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Oh God, I acknowledge today that you are my life. You are my breath. You are my Savior. You are my Sustainer. You are my Strength. You are my Everything. I thank you that I do not need to turn to anyone else. I do not need to go to the world for my counsel, for you are my Counselor. You truly are the God who is Enough. I put my life in your hands and trust you completely. Amen.”

 

AFFIRMATION: